So as planned, at last I am able to watch a movie which I was very much eager to watch since I am a fan of its earlier series, and so here I am back with the review of it. This is a movie on middle-earth named ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ directed by Peter Jackson, the famous fantasy adventure-movie director, who has also directed the 3-part series based on the same setup of middle-earth, the greatest ‘Lord of the Rings’. His other well-known directed movies are – King Kong and The Lovely Bones.
‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ is again divided into 3 parts with other 2 parts to come in 2013 and 2014. This one is a start of a journey and this story is a prequel to Lord of the Rings. If you have watched LOTR, you may be aware that it was the story of a ring which was given to Frodo (Elijah Wood) by his uncle Bilbo (Ian Holm) to destroy it, and he also gave him a book which he wrote and which constitutes of his own adventure with the middle earth. ‘The Hobbit’ movie series covers those adventures which are written in that book. It starts at the same point where LOTR started. Bilbo writing the book, and Frodo ran outside to receive Gandalf, and we disappear into Bilbo’s memoirs. Young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is interrupted by the meeting of Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), who has chosen him to accompany an adventure with the company of 13 dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). These dwarves have lost their empire of Lonely Mountains because of an attack by a dragon named Smaug, and they require a burglar who can steal back their treasure and empire from Smaug. Bilbo agreed at last, and then the party of 13 dwarves, 1 Wizard and 1 Hobbit started, and they cross The Shire, and many other lands, escaping from the Orcs, Trolls, and many other dangers of middle earth to reach Rivendale, the elves country, where the Elven Lord Elrond (Hugo Weaving) help them find their way. In middle of the movie they also encountered the wizard Radagast the Brown (Sylvester McCoy) who told them of evil powers and an evil necromancer. At the movie’s end, journey was still going on, and they saw their home, the Lonely Mountains, far away. This film also covers that how did Bilbo got the evil-ring from Gollum (Andy Serkis).
So, LOTR lovers, do not miss this movie, it’s again a series and a series of 3 parts, and I am surely going to watch other 2, when they will release. You will get the same magic, the same fantasy-adventure smell and feel you got while watching the epic LOTR. And the director has again shows the same skills, wonderful special-effect, a great journey, orcs attacking, fighting of stone mountains, wonderful locations, the shire, the orcs colony, Rivendale, every aspect just so brilliant that you started thinking that is this the limit of special-effects and beauty of nature. The film has comedy touch too, nice scenes worth laughing. Background score (Howard Shore) is of the same intensity and matching as we found in LOTR, like the characteristic tune for ‘the ring’. The best performance come from Martin Freeman, as he is the newest actor to join the series, rest actors reprises their roles of LOTR. Martin Freeman is known for playing roles like Tim Canterbury of ‘The Office’, Arthur Dent of ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy’ and Dr.Watson in tv-series ‘Sherlock’. He suites perfectly to the hobbit role, and he acted well, showing the same characteristics as was displayed by the older Bilbo Ian Holm. So, if you like fantasy-adventure-journey, this movie is for you. On the negative side I will say that it seems like a repetition, since nothing’s new in here as from LOTR, and here its more toward the lighter side, may be that will feel that adventure is not that much if compare to LOTR, because LOTR was the first, and this one is the second in making, so viewer can feel a little bit of boringness, and repetition, but fans like me, it is a welcoming movie, as I got to re-live the same adventure which was took long time back.
I have already read LOTR and The Hobbit books long back, and these are the marvelous stories told by one of the greatest novel writer J.R.R.Tolkien, he not only created a new world ‘middle-earth’, but also created different types of creatures, created their whole family-tree, even invented a new language for middle-earth, and I will always suggest you to read him, esp. LOTR and ‘The Hobbit’, still 2 books of him I have yet to read ‘The Silmarillion’ (unable to read because of hard-language and confusing story of middle-earth) and ‘The Children of Hurin’ (also based on middle-earth kingdoms). My rating for this movie 4/5 with a YES.
GRuchirG.
Jai Raam ji ki :)